The Building - safe, secure and inclusive

The building stands in extensive grounds with lawns, trees, play dens, balance beams to the front and a new, all weather play area, to the rear, providing a range of safe, challenging experiences for the children valuing indoor and outdoor play equally.

The building itself is secured by the original high walls and security gates, additional fencing where required and a buzzer/intercom system linked to the Office for access into the site and building. Safety gates are implemented where required (mainly upstairs) and secure fire doors are installed throughout the building. The ramped reception area provides wheelchair access to the building providing a fully inclusive environment, and disabled changing room and toilet facilities are also available.

The nursery is based on the ground floor and is easily accessible from the roadway. Ceilings have been lowered with a floating roof to aid with sound acoustics and strip lighting has been implemented for visual needs.

There are six main rooms within the building on two floors and an additional Hedghog building and log cabin. The building stands in extensive grounds with lawns, trees, play dens, balance beams, sand box, fixed climbing frames with slides to the front, and a purpose built extensive play area with tunnels, climbing challenges, stage and construction area to one side and a sensory yard and garden to the other side. We have an excellent Forest School on site, which is run by our fully trained forest school leaders.

Rockwood caters for a maximum of 60, 3 year old and 40, 2 year old children per session. The school is organised into mixed age 'family groups' according to whether they attend sessional sessions or flexible/full time. These family groups are led by a qualified teacher, supported by a team of Higher Level Teaching Assistants and Teaching Assistants.

All of our staff (except the apprentices in training) are trained to a minimum of NVQ level 3 qualification. Each child is allocated a key teacher and key person on starting at Rockwood. The children's family room base is used for registration and end of session activities, but after this the children access the whole school and site. During activities they are supported with activities and planned learning specifically for their age and stage of development. The teachers in each room monitor, assess and support each child's learning and development to ensure we are meeting your child's needs.

The Hedgehog Room is the base for our flexible (i.e 2.5 days or more) and some full time children. The Squirrel Room is the home base for our sessional children (i.e. AM or PM sessions). All rooms are set up to support the Early Years' Foundation Stage curriculum and encourage the Characteristics of Effective Learning. This means there are continuous provision opportunities and enhancement to excite the budding artist, architect or explorer such as Painting, Mark Making area, Workshop area, Music area, Construction, Small World, ICT, Water, Sand area, Malleable area for playdough and other sensory activities, Role Play and Story area. We have additional rooms upstairs which provide a sensory room, parent training and a Breakfast Club/After School Room which contains our very popular Musk Turtles.

Central to the rooms is a cloakroom with pigeon holes, where children can leave their own coats and lunch boxes at the beginning of each session. The pigeon holes are labelled and is where pictures, notes and the child's book with information about changing and incidents is kept. Parents/carers are encouraged to check this area every day for updates, information, newsletters and their child's latest fabulous creative work! Through parent donations, the school provides coats, overtrousers and wellies for children to explore the full outdoor area. We do ask that you provide a sun hat or wooly hat and gloves when appropriate for our lovely Lancashire weather!

A parent/carer library is available every day in the conservatory for families to choose a book and a rhyme card with their child to share at home. We ask that parents/carers complete a sheet with their child after each library book to show how much they enjoyed it - this can be a simple as simple as giving it a mark out of 10, drawing a smiley face or a picture about the book. Also within the conservatory is a range of exciting Story Sacks with stories, activities, games and feedback sheets. Parents/carers can borrow these, free of charge, every Wednesday with their child at pick up or drop off times.

Both main rooms have accessible bathroom areas with plenty of facilities. The children are encouraged to bring changes of clothing in case of accidents and school provide small change bags for a nominal fee if required.

'I’m delighted – they learn so much here. I travel for miles to get her into Rockwood’ parent quote in Ofsted report (October 2014)

The Outside Areas

The outdoor environment consists of extensive mature grounds with lawns, trees, play dens, and an extensive play area containing balance beams, fixed climbing frames, tunnel, sensory path way, large construction area and stage, a new sensory yard and garden was completed in 2017 with support from the Big Lottery Fund. These areas are used for continuous provision and, as for indoors, are then enhanced with additional resources to enrich the children's learning experiences based on their interests and educational needs at the time to encourage exploration and play.

All weather suits and Wellington boots are available so the areas can be accessed all year round come rain or shine. As part of their sensory experiences the children do get muddy!!!!

Forest School

Out Forest School was opened by our local MP, Julie Cooper and there are photos on this site of the event. It offers our specially designed and developing forest school area in the front garden for all children to visit and have special activities, run by our very own forest school leaders Sarah Railton and Clare Fay. Be prepared to have lots of fun! --- Forest School ---